After her digital X-ray, Hailey Paulson, 7, of Humboldt, apprehensively laid back in the dental chair in the Iowa Central Community College Dental Hygiene Clinic as Dr. John Clay poked around in her mouth at bit during their Give Kids a Smile event Saturday morning.
It was her first time visiting a dentist.
"I'm shaking right now," she said.
Her mom, Shelly, an Iowa Central student, stood next to the chair.
"It's scary when you don't know what's going to happen," she said.
Clay was looking for some bad guys, the infamous "sugar bugs." as he refers to cavities when working with children.
"I explain it in simple terms," he said. "It helps put them at ease and gives them a better understanding of what's happening."
After a quick shot of Lidocaine and some more assurance from her mom, Paulson was almost ready.
"Open great big like an alligator," Clay told her as he began drilling a molar. "Holy cow - those sugar bugs are starting to run."
It turned out to be a deep cavity that required a lot of drilling and at the end, the use of Mr. Bumpy - the slow speed drill with the course cutter.
"He crushes all the sugar bugs then we suck them up with our vacuum," he told her.
After a bit of work with Mr. Bumpy and some more with Mr. Whistler - the high speed drill - her tooth began to hurt. Clay gave her some more Lidocaine.
"Here's a little sleepy water to squirt in there," he said as he gave the shot. "We'll work on that bottom one now cause it's nice and sleepy."
Second-year dental hygiene students Lindsey Nerhus and Brigietta Uhlenhopp organized the event as a class community service project.
Nerhus said the goal was to make the event bigger to serve more children. She said she was happy with the turnout - 36 children were treated during the event. In addition to Clay, Dr. Anne Arklie, who practices in Gowrie, also volunteered her services.
"It's nice to provide this," Nerhus said. "Otherwise, they might not get it fixed."
Cara O'Connor, also a second-year student, was kept busy too. She not only assisted Clay, she also helped hold a few nervous hands and offered comfort and assurance to the young patients.
"Making the patient feel comfortable is the main goal," she said.
She said a nice smile is important.
"A smile goes a long way," she said. "People are living to be over 80, you need your teeth."
Mindy Kier, brought her son Keaton, 5, to the event. She's on familiar turf; she's also a student in the program.
"It's fun to have him see everything," she said.
He even got to try some of the instruments under her close supervision.
"I like Mr. Squirty," he said, "cause he sprays water out."
Mr. Squirty is the air/water syringe dentists use to dry or flush the area of a tooth they're working on.
Besides a variety of dental work and preventive measures, patients at the event could also have a tooth print made.
Renee "Tooth Fairy" Piper, coordinator of the dental hygiene program, said that rubber impressions, taken three times during childhood, are used as a last resort method of identification.
The child's DNA and saliva scent is also captured on the impression and can help canine trackers with locating someone.
"Saliva scent is more effective than a piece of cloth," she said.
As Clay finished working on Hailey Paulson, he had some bad news to deliver to her mom.
"You're looking at a possible root canal," he said.
He also encouraged her to brush more.
"It only takes two minutes to brush your teeth," he said.
To help with that, O'Connor offered some advice too.
"There's an automatic rotating toothbrush you can get that sings to her," she said. "The song lasts two minutes."
Contact Hans Madsen at (515) 573-2141 or hmadsen@messengernews.net
